Last day of T-Fest 20. I stayed an extra day for more hang-out time. Chad R played another “Sirk Before He was Sirk” movie, Sign of the Pagan (1954). It’s a regilious epic about Rome vs Genghis Khan. Jeff Chandler is the nominal lead as the head Roman, but he’s stiff as a board and even has less screen time than Khan. Khan is played by a young Jack Palance and he’s terrific. Very fun movie.
Next I showed an oldie Old Dark House movie, Secret of the Blue Room. Great cast: Edward Arnold, Gloria Stewart, Lionel Atwill… It’s creaky and old and a blast. “This is exactly my kind of hokum,” Chad said, and I agreed.
Then I showed the old Boris Karloff mad scientist movie The Devil Commands (1941). I realized that somehow I had never seen this one. It was terrific. It honestly had some of the best Mad Science I’ve ever seen. Highly recommended.
